Sasori's team
by MadMeary
Summary: He knocked on the door, and waited to be invited to enter. He walked into the room and was surprised to discover three children standing outside the office of the fourth kazekage.
1. Chapter 1

It's the same story as yesterday but in english. I try, so if you see any mistakes, please tell me. The art which inspires me belongs to Hidan chan my foot on tumblr.

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Sasori's team

Sasori was surprised to have been summoned by the fourth kazekage at the beginning of the afternoon, generally missions were given in the morning, and since his usual two partners Pakura and Yashamaru were not there, the first one was in the tea country and the other in Kirigakure, he wondered what the leader of the country wanted. He knocked on the door, and waited to be invited to enter. He walked into the room and was surprised to discover three children standing in front of the office of the fourth kazekage. The grandson of Chiyo recognized them immediately, these were Temari, Kankuro and Gaara No Sabaku, children of Rasa No Sabaku, the current kazekage.

"Sasori, on time as usual, noted Rasa

-You wanted to see me?

-Indeed, last night a decision was taken by the council and myself. From now the shinobi will begin to train their future team very young to strengthen the ties between the sensei and his students. As you have already suspect it, I have chosen you to take care of my children, he announced

Sasori could not believe it he was going to train the Sabaku No siblings! Admittedly they seemed to have a high potential but they were still children. Temari had to be eight, Kankuro seven and Gaara was never going to get anything from them.

-Thanks to devote your time to us Sasori-sensei, thanked the only girl of the trio

His two brothers imitated her by bowing respectfully their head . The scorpion did not know how to react, it was a huge responsibility and he did not think he was the ideal ninja for this work. Everyone in Sunagakure knew he had no patience. He already not tolerate mistakes of his partners so how could he endure the ones of the children. The chief of the wind country had fallen on his head.

\- Questions?, asked the father of the siblings

He could not refuse, and make any remarks could be detrimental to him, his superior would send him on uninteresting missions for months.

\- You do not think they're a little young to be trained, he remarked

\- Too young to be trained or too young for you manage to support them, teased Rasa

The genitor of children did not allowed himself to joke with everyone, but he knew Sasori from the academy, and they had even been in the same team with Karura, under the direction of the third kazekage. He was close enough to the scorpion to permit himself to joke.

\- Sasori is our sensei, said Gaara happy clinging to his pants!

He looked down at the youngest of the three who made him a huge smile and his little blue eyes shone intensely. This was going to be hard to say no.

\- What do you want me to do with them? , he sighed

\- I want you to prepare them for future practical classes they will have at the academy; make them run to make them more tough and faster, make them throw kunai and shurikens in target ... Be not too hard on them, they are still young, recalled him kazekage

-As you wish,

-You can make them perform some D rank missions, but not above, continued Rasa

\- It is true daddy we'll be able to accomplish missions, Kankuro repeated surprised, turning to face his parent

\- Indeed, in your own free time to preparatory classes and when he is not on missions himself, you will be under the orders of Sasori, who will train you to ninja profession, he confirmed

\- Does that mean that we are now genin, asked Temari

\- Not yet, but if your results of school first quarter are excellent, and Sasori tells me you're doing well, then you will become without going through the academy,

The girl and her two brothers were speechless, do not go to the academy and be a shinobi, that would be great.

\- Let's go, we've wasted enough time here, ordered Sasori

-Well Sasori-sensei!, Obeyed the three children

\- Be wise, cried their father before they disappeared

-We promis "

The scorpion could not believe he had accepted, why but why did he have to said yes to become the sensei of the Sabaku No. Rasa had the right to have the esteem and ambition for his children as Sasori family had for him, but he was not forced to mingle him with that.

He was in an area for training with these three children, who were not even Genin. All three facing him with their eyes wide open, ready to follow him without question, now what should he do with them?

"By what do we begin Sasori-sensei? Asked Gaara

\- Show me how you're doing in launch of shuriken, he said

Kankuro was the first to rise from the log of wood that served as bench for the three children, and approached the scorpion. The latter gave him a shuriken and showed him a target which stood at an average distance of them. The little brown threw it without thinking but with a precision that was chillingly. He seemed to have calculated his move as the object landed in the center of the target.

-Great I did it and at the first try, I'm the best! Cried Kankuro

Sasori was speechless a few seconds, children who exhibited this characteristic were generally more willing to become puppeteers, and this puzzled the jonin. His pupil was only seven years old, it was extremely young. The grandson of Chiyo had been considered as a future master of puppets at eleven.

\- It's good you do not need to boast either, everyone can do it, grumbled Temari

His younger brother turned to her, a triumphant look on his face, and proudly puffed out his chest, she was just jealous and he knew it. He beat her in this exercise and his sister hated not to be better than his brothers.

\- If it's that easy come to show us your talent, he provoked

She stood up and took the place of his brother, who had returned to sit in his original place. Gaara congratulated him and hoped he could do the same. Kankuro, in good big brother assured him that yes, he should not stress it.

Just as he did for the little brown Sasori handed a shuriken to the little blonde who thanked him. She focused on her target and threw the object that flew faster than the one of his younger brother. It was too high in altitude, she frowned, and without realizing she made a downward motion with her hand. This action, unpremeditated, had the effect of deflecting the stroke of shuriken that eventually landed in the center of the target, detaching in the way the one that was already there. Sasori did not show it but it left him speechless once again, which had just taken place before his eyes was not normal. The trajectory of the shuriken would never have ended well. Temari had acted on that, but how, that was the question.

\- So Kankuro you said something, it's weird I can not hear you, she taunted

The oldest of his brothers pouted, it was unfair he was so sure that she could not do better.

\- Gaara, come it's your turn, called the scorpion

The concerned swallowed before hurrying to join his sensei. He had often heard his father say that Sasori was not someone you had to make wait, patience not being his greatest quality. The youngest of No Sabaku had no desire to attract his wrath.

He took in his shaking little hand the weapon the puppet master handed him who could not help but to see himself at the same age. He too was shy at that time, but it began to rise, almost fifteen years. In other words an eternity for a shinobi. Gaara looked at his siblings who made him signs of encouragement.

The boy concentrated with all his strength, he could not fail, not infront of a man like Sasori, not while his brother and sister had succeeded.

 **Do it kid, you're not as bad as you believe , whispered the voice of Shukaku, the demon he was sheltering in him.**

The demon had become attached to his host, even though the latter sorely lacked ofconfidence in himself which did not always pleased the giant tanuki. He had a lot of will, that offset. The child complied and threw the shuriken with more power than had done his elders. The weapon, after a relatively short race, planted himself in the target in the second closest circleto the center. Disappointed with his performance, he looked down at the ground, too ashamed to dare to face the look of his sensei.

Sasori crouched down to his level, and firmly remounted his chin.

\- Good work Gaara at your age it is excellent, especially when you know you have fewer years of practice than Temari and Kankuro, he congratulated him

The cheeks of the little boy took the same color as his hair, the jonin was proud of him, and it made him happy.

\- That's all for today, it's getting late, and tomorrow you have classes, announced the scorpion

-Already, but it has only just started, sulked the brown

-Kankuro I just tested you, tomorrow if I do not have assignments outside the village, I will train you, and I will not be as nice as today, he explained "

All four returned in front of the family home, the puppeteer knocked on the door, and it was Karura who opened. They chatted a few minutes, and he informed their mother that he had made his decision and he accepted to become their sensei. Rasa's wife thanked him, and he went away, leaving the little family together.

If someone had told him that he would be the leader of a young team, he would not have believed a second, but the three of them had huge potential, and Sasori, as an artist, could not miss it, and give them to someone else. The sand siblings under his command, will become the best team of the whole wind country.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 :

The following morning, like every morning, Karura went to wake her three children, her husband had already gone to work for one hour, and the sun began hardly to be visible. She opened the door Temari's bedroom, this one as every day slept crooked, the head in the direction of her window and arms outspread like a bird.

At first, her mother had inquired with a pediatrician to know if this position was not dangerous, but the doctor had reassured her, if Temari was comfortable so and if she did not pass under blankets then it risked nothing.

She got closer to the bed of her daughter, and caressed her hair from top to bottom, as expected after a few minutes it pulled her of the land of dreams. Her elder daughter had the lightest sleep out of the three, and thus the one that it was the easiest to wake. This one sat down on her bed, after having turned to face her mother, and rubbed her eyes.

'' Hello mum, she murmured

\- Hello my darling, slept well?

\- Yes very, answered the girl

\- Well, you go down to have breakfast while I am going to wake up your brothers. »

Temari jumped off the bed, and left her room to obey at the request of Karura. Now the task of the woman of Rasa was going to be more complicated. She entered in the next room to wake up her first son Kankuro. Him it was another story, he had the deepest sleep of the siblings, and also the most disturbed. His mother never found him lying down properly, sometimes he had his feet on the pillow, at other times he was in a ball like a cat, she had also found him sitting on the floor, his hands and head on mattress. This it was when he was calm, one morning, when she had come to wake him up, she had not seen him in bed and panicked, where was he, Rasa, who could feel the stress from his wife had left the bathroom and had joined her in their son's room. She had explained the situation to him, and after an inspection of the room he had caught him sleeping peacefully behind his construction castle.

This morning he was sleeping in the right direction of the bed, feet and fists in the air, and she found the posture relatively normal and amusing. She approached him, and shook him gently, with him she always had to be energetic or he would never get up. After a few minutes, he opened one eye, then closed it again, and repeated the same procedure with the second. He grunted when he recognized his mother's face and understood why she was there.

''Hello to you too Kankuro, she said amused

\- He...llo...mu...mmy, he articulated between two yawns

\- Wake up, it's time for breakfast''

She waited for him to get up and followed him as he walked out of his room, for safety she closed the door, he might have been tempted to turn around. She watched him walk down the stairs with difficulty and she entered Gaara's room only when she heard Temari say hello to Kankuro.

For the last of the siblings the situation was different, he sometimes had problems falling asleep because of the demon which lived in him, and was very restless, especially the nights of full moon, fortunately quite rare in the country of the wind . The boy's first nights had been a nightmare, he cried because of Shukaku and had prevented the whole family from resting. Rasa had decided that as long as a solution was not found, their two oldest children would go to sleep at their uncle's. The resolution of their problem had been settled by Kazue Akasuna No, Sasori's mother. This one after much research and nights at studying Gaara, had said that it needed something to appease the tormented spirit of the tanuki. The question had been to find what might be appropriate, and after some failed attempts, the two mothers had discovered that Shukaku was sensitive to music, and especially classical music. Karura had placed a music box next to her younger child's bed, and the calm returned to the Sabaku No house. Today the demon was more friendly with this family, especially with its host, but it still wanted music on full moon nights and nobody refused it.

Karura discovered Gaara lying on the side, holding his teddy bear firmly in his advanced silently, and stroked tenderly the cheek of the boy.

'' Gaara my angel, it's time to get up, she whispered

The power of the tanuki was weaker in the morning, but she did not prefer to thwart it, it was better not to put it in a bad mood. Her son opened his eyelids, and smiled, recognizing the benevolent face of the woman who had brought him into the world.

-Hello, he greeted her, rubbing his eyes

-Hello, did you and Shukaku sleep well?''

The devil loved when people were interested in it, it had a certain pride, and even if the life of humans was the last of its worries it appreciated when people addressed to it from time to time. Gaara nodded positively, and stood up, grabbed his mother's hand, and they both went down to join Temari and Kankuro.

After the meal, which was more or less long, the middle child only beginning to emerge only after swallowing his bowl of cereal and his glass of orange juice, the siblings went up to put on their uniform and retrieve their schoolbag. Then the little family took the road towards the school. Once at the gate, each found his friends, after having said goodbye to Karura. The latter spoke a few minutes with their teacher, then went away.

The day passed, and finally came the liberating bell, the mistress of the three Sabaku No was, as everyday, the first in front of the portal, checking that each of her pupils left well with a parent or a trusted guardian. It has happened in the past that ninjas from other countries disguise themselves to kidnap a promising child to integrate their village. Their teacher Miyu Mitsuko was born in a clan whose peculiarity was to see the true appearance of people, no jutsu or potion could trick their eyes.

Sasori stood in front of the gate when he saw her, and he decided to get closer to her.

''I come to pick up the three Sabaku No, he explained

For what other reason would the unmarried and childless jonin be in front of a school?

\- I know Sasori-san, Karura-sama informed me this morning, they will not be long,

He greeted her, more out of politeness than real desire, the scorpion was not the most courteous ninja of the country of the wind.

\- Sasori-san, he soon heard

Temari and Gaara rushed at him, and the younger clung to his trousers, while his sister, after respectfully bowing to him, stood beside him.

\- Where is Kankuro?, he asked

\- He comes, this idiot lost his rule, said the little blonde

\- He will not be long, don't worry sensei, assured the youngest

Sasori plunged again his eyes into the blue ones of the last of the family, and once again found it hard to resist. So he did something he could never have imagined, he waited without complaining. Finally, the middle child appeared, walking nonchalantly.

\- Don't apologize Kankuro, Temari reprimanded, arms crossed in front of her chest

The latter shrugged which amused the Akasuna No son, puppeteers were not reputed to apologize, and he took the road to becoming one. Sasori thought it wise to intervene, and ordered his team to set off.

\- Did you have a mission today Sasori-sensei?, asked Gaara

\- Not exactly, I had to evaluate the level of the puppeteers,

-Level shiver there must be better, commented Kankuro

-Perhaps but it is indispensable, our country can not afford to have under-trained or weak ninjas, and this in all the units, Baki-san takes care of the one of the wind, intervened Temari

The Sababu No girl was a mini Karura, she was smart and her mind was quick, she would surely have excellent years as a kunoichi. She looked up at him, and heconfirmed what she had just said by a nod, raising a smile to the blonde's lips.

\- Your sister is right Kankuro, some of the ninjas that I observed today were lacking in practice and would have been killed if they had found themselves facing an opponent, he added

Temari's cheeks took a pretty pink hue, touched by the compliment of her teacher.

The jonin stood in front of them to show them the way to go, his team was excited to find out what they were going to do today. He had thought about it for a very long time, and thought he had found a good exercise, that they were capable of performing. They soon arrived in an abandoned area where no one ever came. It was a flat ground, at height, without a single tree, and without shadow.

-Today I will evaluate your endurance, he explained

-You want us to run, understood Gaara

\- That's right, you and Temari are going to do 10 laps and you Kankuro you will make 12,

-What, but why I have two more rounds!, exclaimed the concerned

-13...

\- But...

-14...

-Kankuro, you don't see that the more you answer him, the more he adds laps, then shut up and run, sighed his elder sister

 **Your sister is right, your brother should learn to keep quiet, what an idiot, he did not make the link between his delay and his higher number of turns than yours, commented Shukaku.**

The siblings began to run around the field, which was larger than the one they used at school. Sasori knew that at this hour the heat was less intense and that it would be less tiring for his little protégé watched them carefully, examining how they used their chakra. Of the three, it was Gaara who did the best, it must be said that the demon that was in him, provided him an almost infinite amount of chakra, Kankuro was not too bad, if he became a puppet master he would need to know how to regulate the chakra in his hands, good physical condition and endurance were always more assets. Temari was on track, but at the end of the fifth round, he felt her become weaker, her energy reserve diminished, and he feared she collapses at every time. The final round for her younger brother and she came at last, and the scorpion noticed that she was struggling not to fall on the ground. He teleported himself behind her and crouched down, forcing her to sit on his thigh. Gaara joined them worried to see his sister breathing so fast and her cheeks so red.

\- Temari are you all right ?, he asked

She turned her face towards him, leaving Sasori's comforting neck, and gave him a smile that was mean to be reassuring, she did not want to worry her little brother. Their sensei handed each of them a bottle of water, while glancing at the other boy of the family who did the same, while continuing to run.

-Why are you tired like that ?, wanted to know the jonin

-She is not accustomed to doing so much lap, at school the girls make only five, said Gaara

So it was that she had to make an extra effort, which her body had managed as it could.

-Temari, I won't give you any special treatment, in the world of ninjas a kunoichi is treated like a male shinobi,

He was clear and honest, he would not spare her, princess of Suna, daughter of kazekage or not. He will not lie to her, if she wanted to give up it was now or never. She planted her jade iris in his own and said to him in a firm and determined voice;

-I don't want it Sasori-sensei, I want to receive the same training as my brothers, I'm sick of girls being perceived as fragile little things, I will not burst into a thousand pieces and break myself if I do the same exercises as a man.

The burning fire in her eyes was more intense, more violent than the one that inhabited older male ninjas.

\- Sure ?

\- Certain !

-You will do what I tell you without complaining, even if at the beginning you will have to work harder than your brothers,

She jumped from his thigh, and stood before him, and it was without trembling that she swore she would be the best kunoichi of her generation.

-Very well, if it's that you desire then you will be placed on the same foot as your two brothers, he promised

-Thank you, she thanked him, her eyes shining with gratitude

Temari, Kankuro and Gaara were the children of the fourth kazekage, which made them the princess and the princes of the wind country, children of the kazekage being above those of the daimyo. The scorpion suspected that these three had always been protected by the inhabitants of Suna, and obviously this annoyed the elder. She was not wrong, life would not spare them because they were noble.

-I will never be late again sensei, swore Kankuro finally joining them

Like the other two, he offered him a bottle of water that the boy caught as if his life depended on it.

-You're not nice, he said once he had finished drinking

-I'm not here for that, but to teach you to be shinobis, retorted Sasori, amused by the attitude of the brown.

He then turned to Gaara, who was in his sister's arms, who was repeating to him that she was fine while stroking his hair, that it was only a little tiredness

-Gaara, I'm proud of you, you were able to manage your effort today, he congratulated him

 **I'm a bit for something, but I have to admit that you're not bad kid, Shukaku confirmed.**

-Come on, let's go, it's time I returned you to your mother, he concluded. ''

All along the way back he watched over the only girl of the trio, and was relieved when he felt her energy level up gradually. He brought the siblings home, informed them that he was going on a mission for several days the next day, and recommended to Temari to train during his absence, which she promised him. He did not leave until they had disappeared behind the door of their house. He sighed, he began to attach himself to them, it was not a good sign, this mission away from these three little ones was very much appreciated, and surely allow him to pull himself together ... It was only a momentary weakness ... Just a delusion, everything would return in order on his return...

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I already started chapter 3, help !


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 :

Sasori was returning from his mission, he had killed assassins with Pakura and Yashamaru, and it had done him good. He had perfectly fulfilled his duty, and he had almost forgotten what awaited him on his return. Only his kunoichi of partner, who had obviously learned the news, did not hear it that way.

"So like this Sasori you're the sensei of the children of our dear kazekage" she said as if nothing had happened.

The scorpion saw that she slowed down to get to his level. He will have to answer because if he had learned something since he had been placed on the team of Pakura since the promotion of Rasa and the early retirement of Karura, it was that she did not give up before she get what she wanted.

It was a quality during the missions, but when it concerned him, it quickly became annoying.

"Indeed"

"..I must have known that you would not be very talkative on the subject, come on Sasori I want details, it is not nothing for all that, to be a sensei it is already not common for a jonin as impatient as you, but to be the one of the Sabaku No is more than improbable" she added

" Rasa also entrusted a young student to Pakura" intervened Yashamaru for the first time since the beginning of the return journey

''Maki, her name is Maki and she is very promising, if she continues like that she could become genin quickly'' she commented

''You mean if you realize perfectly your role of a sensei'' teased Yashamaru

She turned to the scorpion, inflating her cheeks, sulking. Sometimes she behaved like a baby, amusing or irritating her partners, it depended on who it was.

''Sasori, I will not let you go like this tell me how it is to take care of the formation of the little princess and the little princes of Suna'' she said

''It's tiring, all the work you have to do with your student, is multiplied by three for me and I have to adapt since Gaara is younger than the other two''

''My niece and my nephews love you very much, I would almost be jealous "Yashamaru joked,"this is the first time they have attached themselves to an adult other than someone from their family''

Sasori did not add anything to this compliment, he did not want to destroy his reputation of a hard and detached man, in a country like Suna you had to be as impenetrable as a wall otherwise death never awaited you very far. However what his teammate had said had flattered his ego, he was their new favorite, their hero that was more than pleasant, but he preferred to be bitten by a scorpion rather than admit it. After that, Pakura asked the other shinobi why he did not have any pupils, to which he replied that he was already a medical ANBU, and that his hours at the hospital in the company of Chiyo was enough for him. Yashamaru wanted to be able to sleep and if he had to take care of young ninjas he would not have been able to keep up the rhythm. Sasori gave a fainted smile, his grandmother could be a real tyrant when she wanted, and he easily imagined the treatment inflicted on his partner.

''Suna on the horizon "cried Pakura, accelerating the pace of her race

''Pakura slowly, the village will not disappear,'' Yashamaru shouted, "my god this woman will kill me'', he sighed

''It's your fault, if you had not treated like a princess from the start she would not make you run'' pointed out the scorpion

''I've never treated like her a princess'' he retorted

''You're a poor liar Yashamaru my dear, I hear your heart beating very fast from where I am''

Since childhood Karura's brother was in love with the bicoloured kunoichi and had always passed everything to her, unfortunately for him she was as blind as a mole when it was a question of love feelings, and Sasori, if he had not been one to not to mix in other business would have told everything to the concerned.

''There you are, you are slow "she laughed as she was in the company of Karura, and held Temari against her chest.

''Uncle Yashamaru'' exclaimed Gaara barreling straight to his uncle who caught hm in a reflex as he jumped into his arms

''Sasori-sensei! "cried Kankuro, coming towards him more quickly than usual.

He ruffled him with a natural gesture, and gave him a small smile, the one he reserved for Gaara when he clung to him. If even the big brother of the demon bearer began to make him soft he was lost.

''What are we doing today? "Inquired the little brown boy

''Kankuro'', called out his mother, ''Sasori has things to do, he has a report to pass on to your father, and then he will surely want to rest''

The child pouted, he was so impatient to go back to training with the scorpion. Now that he and his siblings had a professor they wanted only one thing, learn as much as possible, and finally accomplish their first missions.

The little son of Chiyo joined the two women, and noticed that Temari had a bandage on the corner of the lip on the left.

''What did you do to yourself? "he asked.

''Nothing I felt when I ran, it's nothing serious'', she said

He did not answer, but he knew very clearly that it was a lie. She had answered too quickly, as if she had anticipated his question, and had repeated to herself the answer several times so that she was convincing and that she believed it herself. Sabaku No Temari had a reputation for being a foolproof franchise, she always said what she thought and never came back on her word, so it was disconcerting to see her opt for lying, especially if it was to lie very badly

''She trained very hard you know, I had trouble making her stop, confided Karura proud of her daughter

Either she had not detected the lie of her elder, or she had decided to wait until she confessed the truth to her of her own will.

''That's not all, but Rasa-san is not going to wait all day, let's go! "said Pakura in a tone that would not accept a refusal.

She placed Temari on the ground, and Yashamaru returned his nephew to his sister, Kankuro placed himself beside his mother, still sulking. The trio of jonin greeted the little family before resuming their journey to their superior's office. Their report did not take much time, largely because it was the brother-in-law of the kazekage who had taken care of it, Pakura had a tendency to go astray in details, and Sasori hated doing it. Rasa seemed satisfied, and allowed the kunoichi and the doctor to withdraw, the scorpion realized that he wanted to talk to him privately.

''You had the opportunity to train and evaluate my children for several days, and I wanted to know your opinion''

'' I must admit I was pleasantly surprised, despite their youth, which I maintain is a factor to take into account, they demonstrated potential and a real desire to fully participate in this experience. For the moment they have the level I expect from them, but I only make them run, and throw kunais'', he reminded

''I know, thanks to you Temari has improved her endurance, her teacher came to tell me that she was forced to put her with the boys since she was too strong for the other girls"

Sasori heard the pride in the voice of the chief of the country, even though the latter was impassive, Rasa was Temari's father, and as a parent he could never be completely neutral when it came to his children. The puppeteer wondered if he would have felt the same thing if it had been him in his place, would he have been a good father, that was the question.

"Okay, so carry on, if you ever have problems with Shukaku come to see me immediately'', he finished

''I was thinking of having them explore the village a little in a few days, and I would like the traders to help me'', he warned

'' No worries, just tell me if you need help for permissions or anything else'', approved the brown

''Thank you, goodbye kazekage-sama'', he concluded before disappearing

The next evening he took the siblings after school and noticed that the girl of the family had a fresh cut on the other side of the lip. Something was wrong, but he decided to opt for the strategy of patience, she had to feel that she could trust him, and confide to him without fear. As they moved away from school, she relaxed, and seemed to get better, even her brothers seemed less nervous.

''It's been a few days since I've seen you running, so you're going to do the same exercise as the last time, except that this time you'll only have ten rounds Kankuro, since you've been able to hold your tongue,'' he announced

''Understood sensei", they replied with one voice

They complied, knowing too well the impatience of their professor and its consequences. Gaara still well managed his chakra , Shukaku obediently bent to the exercise for the biggest relief of the jonin, he did not want to put the demon with one tail, it was quite susceptible. Kankuro was doing well, happy not to have to do more rounds. Temari, was breathing normally, and did not use more energy than she needed, so she had trained as she had promised.

''So Sasori-sensei, did we succeed? "Gaara asked at the end of the race, after drinking

''It was pretty good, you did not regress in my absence, which is already a good point, you channel your chakra very well", he said addressing to him, "you Kankuro you have a good endurance, and you Temari you have progressed enormously, you have been above my hopes ... But do not slacken!", he forbidden

" Promised", they said before leaving

Sasori watched them leave, amused to see them so enthusiastic. In general children of their age only wanted to have fun and sleep, not to be supervised by a jonin. He suddenly felt chakras approaching those of his protégés. Something was happening, without thinking he rushed into their direction. He slowed down when he heard a conversation.

''Look at it, it is the Sabaku No again Everyone knows that if you have a particular teacher it's because your father is the kazekage" spit a boy a little bigger than Kankuro

''This is not true, it is because we deserve it," replied the middle child

''Shut up, if you were not the princess and the princes of Suna no one would take care of you'', hissed a girl smaller than Temari

''You talk about a princess, you saw how ugly she is, no boy will ever want to marry her, and especially not with her cuts'', sneered another average-sized boy.

''Let's go home'', commanded Temari, deciding to ignore them

'' Who do you think you are, you have not learned the lessons that we gave you, you want some more'', got angry the girl

''Would it not be jealousy that I hear," intervened Sasori interposing from his hiding place

''It is Akasuna no Sasori'', recognized one of the boys

''You are not so clever in front of a jonin, you are silent all of a sudden, "he continued

''Let's go'', advised the other boy

''No, no, stay, I just needed new small puppets, you will do the job perfectly"

''We ... we have to go home", swallowed the girl

''That's it back off and if you ever pick up again on my students you'll regret it! "he threatened

They began to run as if their lives depended on it, not looking back once, frightened by the scorpion.

''Are you all right? "He asked, crouching down.

* * *

Sorry for the ending, it's a little rude of me. Next chapter should be post in August.


	4. Chapter 4

Yes finally, it is here, I'm so sorry, I was supposed to posted in August, please forgive me.

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Chapter 4 :

"Better now that you're here, thank you sensei" Temari admitted, throwing herself into his arms.

The gesture surprised him, it was not in the habits of the oldest of his students to behave like this but for once he decided to say nothing. She just needed comfort and reassurance because she might be strong, courageous, and honest, she was still a little girl. The other two members of the trio came closer to them and gave their teacher a beaten dog look.

"Okay, come for a collective hug, but it's exceptional" he sighed.

No sooner had he finished his sentence than they were already both in his arms, on either side of their sister. The scorpion checked that no one saw them, his reputation would be tainted if one learned that the terrible and ruthless Akasuna No Sasori consoled children.

"You're better?" He asked Temari when he put an end to the hug.

She pulled away last, well after her juniors and smiled with all her teeth.

"It's time to go home, otherwise your parents will worry and I'm going to be reprimanded" he said.

He stood up and led his small group, and then they went to the residence of the Sabaku No. Glancing quickly behind him, he found that the siblings seemed more relaxed, especially the girl. It was as if a huge weight had been removed from her shoulders. Jealousy and envy were common in the ninja's world, and started very early, well before the academy. The fact that Gaara, Kankuro and Temari were victims of it was not surprising, they were born in one of the most prestigious clan in the whole country of the wind, they were gifted in school and were under the protection of ninjas from ANBU, who would not have liked to be in their shoes. Sasori had found himself in a similar situation as a child, he also came from a recognized clan and he too was born with certain facilities. That was the past and it had even hardened him, he hoped it would be the same for those three.

"Sensei we arrived" Gaara told him.

"All right, so I'll see you tomorrow" he said

The siblings interpreted this as an order, they had to cross their door which was a few steps away, and this without delay.

"Good night Sasori-sensei" they greeted him.

He merely nodded as an answer.

"Temari," he called out to her, "this boy is blind, you are a very pretty princess.''

"Big sister, you're sick, you're becoming all red," he heard the last of the siblings ask in a worried voice.

"It's nothing Gaara, she blushes that's all, Temari is lo..." began his brother before being interrupted by the hand of his sister on his mouth.

She then grabbed the door handle, opened it, and pushed her younger brothers inside before they could add anything. She closed it behind her, not without having first gratified her teacher with a grateful smile.

The scorpion did not know why he had told her that, it was not a lie, on the contrary, Temari was indeed a very beautiful little girl and the artistic instinct of the jonin told him that she would one day become a lovely woman, like her mother. He had just felt that hearing it would be good to her and would restore her confidence in herself. Confidence was important, especially in a country like theirs, Temari could not afford to be weak, others would devour her if they detected the slightest doubt about her appearance or abilities. Rasa had entrusted him with his children, so it was his duty to watch over them and their well-being. This was the reason he repeated himself in a loop until he came home.

The next afternoon, he came as promised to get his young team to train them. He wanted to enjoy every spare moment to make them improve, with his missions the time he had to spend them was not as consistent as he wanted, so he had no option but to do with the one he had. The lack of time was offset by the application and dedication of the three young future ninjas. They listened to everything he said to them, nodded once they understood what he wanted from them. They started again, putting into practice the advice of their mentor.

Three living puppets, that's what they were, docile puppets he modeled in his own way, balls of clay that he would change into fearsome warriors. At the end of the session he was satisfied, they still had some progress to make, but for the moment they were fulfilling his goals. The one who surprised him the most was obviously Gaara, despite his young age and his years less in practice he had little delay on his brother and sister. The adult did not put all this on the account of Shukaku, certainly the demon had to help the little boy, but he had to have a great inner strength to befriend the giant tanuki and to control his chakra so well.

Everyone was not so lucky, like all the shinobis still alive whether they were active or retired he had heard the rumors that came from the land of fire. It was six years ago, merchants who had come from Konoha had said that the nine-tailed demon Kyubi had ravaged the village, and that the fourth hokage and his wife had sacrificed their lives to protect them, as well as their child in which the monster had been sealed. This news had shaken the Sabaku No family, and fortunately Karura had already given birth or she might have been disturbed by this news and lose the baby.

Sasori put an end to the exercises and accompanied his students who seemed tired to their home. He did not spare them, he could not, if he did it then he would not do them a favor, he would make them weak and spoiled, he would make a perfect little princess and little princes, but it was not what they wanted.

The next day he was still resting but he had people to see, so he asked them to practice without him. He could have entrusted them to Pakura who was also resting and who was going to take care of her pupil Maki, but Sasori refused that anyone other than him, apart from their family of course, take care of them. He did not share them, they were his, and it was up to him to train them, no one was allowed to intervene. He was an artist and they were his creations, and art was a lonely process.

Everything went as he wished, his name was famous even among civilians, largely due to the eccentricities and jokes of all kinds of his grandmother, people had learned that Sasori was serious and did not waste his time in stupidity. His reputation was doing him a good service, and no one refuses on hearing that it was for the princess and princes of Suna.

The next day he collected his three students, early in the afternoon, he had been in the meeting all morning to discuss the level of puppeteers. The three Sabaku would miss the lessons of the afternoon, but given their level it did not matter. School at this age was used mainly to learn to read, write, count, geography, and the basic arts of shinobis; running, throwing kunais and shurikens. Nothing really complicated, especially for those three. The academy would only be there to deepen their training, if Sasori and their mistress felt that they needed them, otherwise they would directly become genins.

They were in front of him, eager to begin what had been planned for them the one who had become their sensei since several weeks.

"All right, so today I've programmed you a treasure hunt, so I could evaluate your logic, your geographical knowledge, and your reflection in a limited time" he explained.

They were excited, it was the first time they had been given this kind of exercise, and they wanted to succeed in this new challenge that presented itself to them.

"In limited time" Gaara repeated slightly nervous.

He had never liked activities with an allocated time, mainly because he was younger than his brother and sister, and he did not want to penalize them because of his inexperience. The jonin stooped to his level and planted his irises in the bluish ones of his youngest pupil. Not a word was uttered, and yet this silent exchange gave him the strength he sought. He gave him a huge smile as a sign of gratitude, while the Akasuna briefly ruffled his hair. Just as he had done with Temari, he played his role as a mentor and helped the last of the family to gain self-confidence. A shinobi had to build himself a solid armor, and this was especially true for Gaara because of Shukaku. It was not necessary that the demon take power and become uncontrollable.

"We begin, we begin" Kankuro exclaimed, hopping on the spot.

"All right, here's the first clue, if you can solve the riddle and join me in less than two hours you'll have a surprise," he informed them, handing them an envelope.

He waited a few seconds, in case they had questions, and once he was certain they had understood, he disappeared. The little brown man opened the envelope and pulled out the sheet it contained.

"Desert Treasure" was written on the little piece of paper. The three children threw themselves little puzzled looks, they were not very advanced, and their sensei was no longer here.

"The treasure of the desert, and what is that?" Kankuro asked

"Let's think, what's a treasure?"Temari asked

"It's a very valuable thing" Gaara replied.

"Right" confirmed his sister, "the treasure of the desert is what represents value for this one."

"Wait both of you, a treasure can also be what makes the richness of something, what differentiates it from what surrounds it" contradicts their brother.

Temari turned to him and stared at him as if he had just said the stupidest thing in the world, as for Gaara he was confused.

"What you said make nonsense Kanky, what differentiates Suna is the fact that it is a desert, and what makes up a desert is the sand, but all that is around us is sand. In other words, what we are looking for could be anywhere! "She exclaimed.

"Water!"cried the last of the siblings, tapping his left fist in the palm of his right hand.

His two elders opened their mouths wide, but yes it was this of course. Water was a precious commodity for a country like theirs, and this lack of water was a specific feature of Sunagakure, so that was the answer to the riddle.

"Sasori-sensei wants us to go buy him a bottle of water?" Gaara wondered.

"I don't think so Gaara, it would be too simple, and then I do not see the point of sending us shopping in his place" his brother contradicted, shaking his head.

"Where can we get water elsewhere than in homes and shops ...?" Their eldest asked herself.

"It must also be a special place in our country" Kankuro added.

"The blue shinobis" understood the blonde," the blue shinobis were ninjas responsible for the good management and distribution of water when it was very very rare."

"You're right, at that time it was more difficult to find water, and Suna did not count a lot of shinobis using the suiton, so the kazekage and the council had to find a way for everyone to drink," the oldest boy remembered.

"In my memory there is a blue shinobi station still in operation in the street of cactus, commented" the carrier of the demon.

"All right, so let's go, I'm certain we'll get the rest of the riddle" his eldest said.

They set off towards that street, determined and impatient to continue this little game which amused them enormously.


	5. Chapter 5

I posted it faster than I thought. I hope you will like it, and as always if you see any mistakes please tell me ^^.

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Chapter 5 :

Cactus Street was a place where the three children had never been before. It was a street full of old shops that served mostly for civilians. The people present were astonished when they saw three young people running, but all knew who they were, who their father was, and what would happen to those who touched only one of their hair. Besides, nobody dared to approach them for fear of seeing ANBU ninjas.

Temari and her brothers did not pay attention to the inhabitants who were circulating around them. Their eyes inspected each of the signs in search of the one they needed.

"There!" Kankuro cried, pointing to an old, dark blue amphora sign on which one could more or less read, in fact less than more, the word "oasis."

''We enter?'' Gaara suggested.

''We enter.'' Temari confirmed.

She opened the door, and entered the shop, followed by her brothers right behind her. The shop was almost dark, only a few fine rays of sun pierced through the small windows. None of the three Sabaku were reassured, the youngest of the three clung to the shirt of his big brother to give himself courage. The latter was no more confident than he was, but tried not to show it, and their eldest, posted in front, watched everything, ready to detect the slightest danger.

"Good afternoon" an old man said, teleporting himself in front of them.

The siblings uttered a cry of fear under the shock of surprise, and it amused the man who gently mocked them.

"Dad!" a feminine voice exclaimed as she entered the room from what appeared to be the back room.

The children turned their eyes towards her. She must have been between thirty and forty years old was of normal size for a woman, pale complexion, like the vast majority of the inhabitants of the country, short and platinum blonde hair, the eyes of a lovely light blue, a nose and lips thin. These were covered with dark red lipstick. What intrigued them and made them detail her so thoroughly was the tattoo in the form of two clear blue strokes on each of her cheeks.

"If we can not laugh anymore" the man commented as he went behind the counter.

When he passed in front of the light, the three Sabaku No saw that he also had the same marks on his cheeks but they were a darker blue.

''They are only children, you did not have to frighten them" she retorted.

"In my day we knew how to have fun, all the jokes with did with Chiyo," he remembered nostalgically.

''You know Grandma Chiyo?'' Kankuro intervened.

''If I know the old Chiyo, you're kidding me kid, I was one of her team mates."

The little brown boy's eyes glittered, he wanted to ask him so many questions about the woman he admired so much, almost as much as he admired Sasori. He restrained himself, they did not have time, they had an enigma to solve, and their sensei would not grant them the slightest second of delay.

"That intrigues you, doesn't it," the woman remarked, noticing how Temari and Gaara stared at her.

They nodded positively, it was not the first time they met someone with a tattoo at that part of the body, but on the other hand it was the first time they had in front of them two people with the same tattoo but of two different hues.

"These marks are the trademarks of the blue shinobis, they darken over time, the darker they are the older the ninja who wears them is," she explained, lowering herself to their level.

Gaara put his hand on the woman's right cheek and gently caressed the two blue strokes, they were soft, he did not feel any difference with the virgin skin.

"Excuse us for the inconvenience, but would you have something for us, like an envelope that Akasuna no Sasori would have entrusted to you?" Temari inquired.

She did not want to be rude, but the clock was ticking and there was no need to hang around. It was out of the question that they fail, out of the question that they disappoint their teacher. She could never stand in front of him if they did not succeed in this treasure hunt.

"Indeed, he gave us an envelope to to hand deliver to his three students'', confirmed the adult female."

She then turned to her father, who opened a drawer in front of him and pulled out a small envelope similar to the one the scorpion had given them before disappearing. Gaara moved closer to him and took it from the blue ninja's hand. He thanked him shyly, then returned to his elders. All three of them bowed respectfully, then withdrew from the shop.

"I'll have to come back here one day," Kankuro promised himself, "I have questions for this man.''

"If you want, if you want but for now focus on the new clue we are going to discover," his sister reminded him.

The youngest of the siblings, removed the piece of paper from its envelope which contained five small cards on which were inscribed the words: "Belladonna", "Moreau grass", "Datura, "Oleander" and "Mistletoe".

"Here we go to gardening now," the little blonde sighed.

"Too easy," cried the middle child.

The only girl in the trio folded her arms in front of her chest, and stamped her foot. Obviously her younger brother knew something that she did not know and it displeased her greatly.

"Go on, give us the answer, mister the genius," she urged.

"Oh, the great Temari, usually a real miss-I-know-it-all, would not have the answer," he chuckled.

She gave him a look so cold that he felt that the outside temperature had suddenly dropped sharply.

"Don't argue please,'' begged them their youngest by coming between them.

He was right, the time was not for settling scores. It was not a competition, they were not playing against each other, but together. They were a team, siblings who would always support each other no matter what.

"What's the answer to this riddle?" She asked.

"They are all poisonous plants, they are even deadly, the puppeteer shinobis sometimes use them in liquid form as a poison on their puppets or in the form of gas," the brown informed them.

Temari had to admit that she was impressed and proud of Kankuro's knowledge on the subject. It was doing them a great favor, now Gaara and she knew what the common point of these five plants was.

"You are very smart Kankuro, congratulations!" the other boy complimented him.

A gleam of satisfaction and pleasure appeared in his eyes, his sister and he were always delighted to hear this kind of compliment from the last born Sabaku No. They were his models, the people he was trying to imitate , with their father whom Gaara saw as a hero. Their little brother was a shy boy, who often doubted himself, and who dared not go to others. Besides, he had only one friend named Mikoshi, well if he did not count the two groupies who were constantly turning around him; Matsuri and Sari. Groupies that Temari chased away regularly, she had a holy horror of girls like them.

"So we have to go to the hospital," the demon carrier said.

"I think so," his brother agreed.

"Me not,'' the only girl of the group contradicts.

"No, and why not?" "You would not go there to be heal you?" her brown brother questioned.

"Of course I would, but think, you said yourself that these plants were used as poison and that it is the remedy of a poison?''

"An antidote," he replied. "Temari for pity's sake don't tell me you are thinking what I am thinking," he hoped.

Gaara tilted his head to the left, not understanding his older brother's reaction.

"Unfortunately for you I think that so, frankly the hospital is the last resort, but before going there we must use plants with medicinal properties and the best place to buy is the herbalism,'' she affirmed.

"You're joking, it's at the other end of town, in Shiitake Street," he recalled.

"We are going to see Mr. and Mrs. Nozaki," Gaara said happily.

Their mother Karura, a fervent follower of herbal medicine, had often taken them to this shop when they had been sick. So it was a familiar place, not far from home. However, at that moment, they were in the "low" city east of their village, and the stall was in the "upper" city on the west side, in other words, the opposite of the position they occupied.

"We do not have a second to lose, we have to leave now," Temari said.

''Here go again to run all around Suna, I hope that Sasori-sensei's reward is worth it!" her brother groaned as he ran too.

"I'm sure Sasori-sensei would not make us do it for nothing," the other boy claimed.

All three ran without stopping, the training at their school, plus those with their sensei, and those they had imposed themselves alone bore fruit. They were not too breathless, and were less tired than they expected. Soon the neighborhoods of the upper city were in sight, and they felt at home again. These alleys were their playground since their birth, they could have walked there with their eyes closed. They passed their house, and were tempted to stop there to make a surprise visit to their mother, but had to give it up. They were on mission, they could not afford any distractions.

The shop was soon in sight, and they accelerated their race, they were eager to discover the third clue. They were relieved when they realized that the store was empty, it made their job easier and saved them some time.

"Hello ... Oh, but who do I see, would not it be the little Sabaku No!" a rather mature female voice exclaimed.

''Emiko-san," Gaara said, getting closer to her.

He loved the old woman who he considered a second grandmother, with Chiyo. Their biological grandparents were all four dead a few years before the birth of Temari, none of the three had known them and had found affection elsewhere. She took him in her arms, and kissed him tenderly before resting him. She repeated the same gesture with the other two children.

"What can I do for you today?" She asked them.

"We would like to know if you would have an envelope for us?" the demon bearer asked.

"Why should I have one?''

"Our teacher Sasori made us a sort of treasure hunt and in the last envelope were five names of poisonous plants, so we assumed that the best cure for this kind of plants was an antidote," the brunette said.

"So you naturally thought of our shop," she realized.

"That's it," Temari confirmed.

"You are not the children of your parents for nothing," she commented with an amused smile.

"That means we were right!" Gaara guessed.

She slipped her hand into her kimono and took out an envelope similar to the ones they had had until now. Kankuro recognized that their sister had a good reasoning. The little blonde took it and thanked her.

"Do you want a cake before you leave?" the manager of the shop proposed.

They were almost at the door, and the two male members turned to the only girl. In the absence of an adult of their family, it was her, as the eldest, who had the responsibility to make those kinds of decisions. She was going to tell them no, they had eaten well at midday, they did not need this cake.

''We can Temari ?'' Gaara asked with a beaten dog's gaze.

Her other brother did not make his task easier with his hands clasped in prayer, imploring her to accept.

"Okay, but only one," she gasped in a long sigh.

''Yippee !'' Her cadets cried delighted.

Firmness would be obviously for another day. She also headed to the retired kunoichi, and took one of the delicious cakes that were the old lady specialities. Her cadets had already bitten into their cake, big bright stars in their eyes and a huge smile on their face. She did not regret having accepted, seeing them thus. She just hoped that this moment of weakness would not cost them too much.


	6. Chapter 6

I am really sorry for the delay. I will try to post the next chapter in August but I can't promise anything. Thank you so much for you patience.

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Chapter 6

After this break the three children left the shop a new envelope in hands. Temari opened it hastily and extirpated the last indication which they had obtained: "friend or enemy, protector or murderess, friendly or dangerous" were the words that Sasori had written on the small sheet.

''How can we be friends and enemy at the same time?'' Gaara asked

His two elders shrugged, no more advanced than him. This enigma was complicated, more than the others. Obviously their sensei had decided not to be nice to them. Time was playing against them, soon the two hours granted by the adult would be alloted and they would have failed. They could not fail, Sasori would not be happy and maybe he would not want to be their teacher anymore, not to mention their parents ... What would Rasa think if the children of the kazekage, his children, had lost against an enigma, and Karura, their mother who supported and encouraged them constantly ... No they were going to achieve it, too many people they loved would be disappointed if it was not the case.

"Friend or enemy," Kankuro murmured

"... protective or murderous ...", his sister continued.

"... friendly or dangerous," their younger brother concluded.

They repeated these sentences several times, how someone or something could be on two sides at once, it made no sense. By dint of thinking again and again a connection was made in them. It depended on which side you placed yourself, and they knew the object that was able to possess this duality.

"A weapon !" they exclaimed in chorus, which made them laugh.

''Vey well, then direction the Gunjinteki district. » Kankuro said.

His siblings approved and all three resumed their run in the streets of Sunagakure. The neighborhood they were going to join was also in the northern part of the city, and not far away if like them, you were aware of some shortcuts. While running, they discussed which of the arms shops was the one chosen by the jonin. They ended up opting for the one that sold several kinds of weapons and had the best reputation. They went in, and sighed when they realized there were a lot of people. They decided to split in order to know which employee held, what they hoped to be, the last envelope of this treasure hunt.

Gaara was wandering alone in the alleys of the shop, intimidated by the fact that he was no longer with h two elders. He was very shy in nature and did not dare to approach strangers. He stared at the man on a stepladder a few feet away from him, it was just the both of them in the aisle and yet the little boy could not open his mouth. He was desperately waiting for him to notice him and ask him what he wanted.

 **"If you do not say anything he will not see you," Shukaku pointed out.**

"I know but he's busy, it would be impolite to disturb him" the little boy replied.

 **"He's an employee, he's used to being disturbed, and then you can not wait patiently for him to pay attention to you. It' only the first staff member we meet, and if he is not the our man we would have lost time. Sasori gave you two hours, you want your sister and brother to fail because you were scared. "**

"I ... I'm not scared!" he said.

 **"Very well then prove it to me" the demon provoked.**

''As you want !''

Gaara inhaled deeply to give himself courage. He was not afraid, he was going to do it. Shukaku was right he had to prove he deserved to be a shinobi and he wanted his siblings to be proud of him.

"Excuse me," he tentatively tried.

The employee did not hear him, and continued to put the boxes he had in his hand in the beam. The Sabaku No was not discouraged, he was going to show the creature that was sealed in him that he was capable of it.

« Please ! » he shouted.

The adult nearly dropped from his stool, surprised by the little boy's voice. He caught himself and looked down at the voice that had just called on him.

"Oh sorry I did not see you little man," he apologized as he walked down the steps of the stool. "May I be useful to you?" he asked him.

''I...I...''

The words were stuck in his throat, he was blocked and his hands were shaking. The man seeing this tried to reassure him by passing a hand through his hair.

"You're as reserved as my little brother" he said, "do not worry, I will not hurt you" he swore.

Gaara stared at him for a few seconds, he did not look mean, nor did he seem to lie. He smiled tenderly at him and still had his hand in his hair. The little boy relaxed, he had to overcome his shyness if he wanted one day to succeed his father at the post of kazekage.

"My sister, my brother and I are trying to solve an enigma that our teacher Akasuna no Sasori did for us, and I wanted to know if you had an envelope for us?"

"An envelope you say ... No it does not tell me anything, but I was on vacation these last days, I went back to work this morning, maybe that's why I do not know. You should ask my colleague Asae, she must be in the kunai department, do you want me to go with you? " He suggested.

"No, thank you very much, sir, I will find her by myself. Pardon me for abusing your time, and have a good day" he thanked, bowing respectfully.

"You're welcome, sorry for not being able to help you any more, good day to you too" the employee replied.

Gaara felt a little more confident, admittedly he did not get the envelope but he managed to speak with this stranger without stuttering too much and without the help of anyone. He continued his walk towards the path that had been advised to him.

He soon reached the shelf and noticed a woman wearing the same uniform as the man with whom he had discussed before. She was kneeling and marking something on a notebook.

''Hello'' he said.

She turned her face to him, and he noticed that she looked older than his mom but younger than Chiyo.

"Hello my boy, what can I do for you?"

He feels more at ease than with the adult male but because he was less fearful with women, and because she was at his height.

I would just like to know if a certain Akasuna no Sasori would have entrusted you with an envelope that his three students would have the duty to come and collect."

"It is possible, but what proves to me that you are indeed one of the people to whom I can give it?" she asked.

He furrowed his eyebrows puzzled why she asked him this question, the other people who had given them what they were looking for had not questioned them. It was strange. Suddenly he understood everything. She checked that he was the one to whom she had to hand over the piece of paper. She did not trust him naively, she did not know him and so was right to be suspicious. It was an experienced shinobi reflex, and if he wanted that envelope he would have to prove to her that he was the one to whom she had to hand it.

"Why do you have to get it back?" she asked when she realized he had grasped the reason for her behavior.

"My siblings and I have to solve a series of riddles prepared by our sensei. He gave us two hours to succeed," he told.

"For what purpose?"

"To test our logic, our sense of direction, and our ability to think in a limited time," he replied.

"Do you win something in return?"

"Yes, if we come back in the allotted time but we do not know what our reward will be" he said, anticipating her next question.

"You seem sincere, one last question, would you do anything to have it?"

 **''By anything she means kill her if necessary'' Shukaku said.**

Gaara swallowed ... to kill her, he knew perfectly well that the ninjas sometimes had to murder to succeed on a mission, whether it was to recover an information, a document, an object, or a person ... Sometimes the very purpose of the mission was to take the life of one or more people who posed a threat to the country.

"I'd rather not, it depends on you, do you care more about your existence or about what I want, but if I could avoid killing you, I'd prefer" he confessed.

"You'll be a strange shinobi," she commented amused, "well, you deserved it".

She picked up the envelope he coveted in her notebook, and handed it to him. He took it without delay, smiling with pride.

''Thank you very much, maram, and have a nice day."

"You're welcome, my dear, and good afternoon to you too" she replied before he ran away.

Kankuro and Temari were going to congratulate him, they were going to smile and hug him like they did every time they were proud of him. He arrived at the end of the shelf at the same time as his siblings came out of theirs.

"I have it!" they shouted in chorus.

They widened their eyes before frowning their eyebrows, all three were surprised by the words of the other two members of his siblings.

"Wait a minute, it's impossible that you have it since it's to me that the store manager gave it" the brown said.

"It would surprise me a lot since it is to me that it was handed" the blonde contradicted.

"No it's me who has it" the little redhead objected.

"Let's go, let's clarify that outside" Temari pointed pushing her cadets towards the door.

Once outside they showed each other the three envelopes they had obtained. They were intrigued and confused, why did their teacher leave three envelopes this time?

"Maybe two are wrong and if we are wrong the one which was good would go up in smoke," the boy in the middle tried to explain.

His eldest sister and his younger brother sincerely hoped he was wrong, because at first sight the three pieces of paper were exactly the same.

"We could open them at the same time, what do you think?" the other male member asked.

Being short of time and ideas the two older Sabaku No accepted. What else could they have done?

"What is happening ?" asked Kankuro, who had closed his eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

I'm not really satisfied with my translation for this chapter, so if you see any horribles mistakes, please, tell me and I will try to correct them. As always thank you for everything ^^.

* * *

Chapter 7

"Nothing Mr. brave, you can open your eyes" his sister informed him, rolling hers.

How could her brother hope to become a ninja if he was so cowardly, even Gaara who was younger than him had not been frightened.

"What do these numbers and letters indicate?" the curious Shukaku bearer asked.

"These are coordinates, that means we have to go there" the blonde explained to him.

"Will it never end?" Kankuro exclaimed tiredly.

"Stop complaining, that's not how you'll be a good shinobi" his sister snarled, tapping on his head.

''Ouch, and it's not by tapping me either" he retorted, massaging the spot where he'd been hit.

''Sissy, I barely touched you" she signaled.

"Stop!" Gaara shouted, "I ... I mean ... this is not the time to argue," he continued in a lower tone and his cheeks red because of the eyes of the passersby.

"You're right little brother, sorry" the brown man apologized.

The girl nodded before returning her attention to the piece of paper in her hands. Time was still running, and they were faced with nine possibilities and it was up to her, who had studied this exercise, which was not the case with her cadets, to resolve this enigma. She had to focus, and quickly eliminate the eight answers that were not the right ones. The first association was leading to the cemetery, it was not that, the second to the district of the old warehouses, nobody never set foot there, it was not that either. The third was driving she did not know where but not a place that was familiar to her, the fourth led them to the front door of the retirement home in the northern part of Suna, they were a little young to take their retirement.

''But of course, why did not I think about it sooner, what an idiot but what an idiot!" she cursed herself, striking her forehead.

She began to run without warning, and her brothers had no choice but to follow her.

"Temari, but wait for us, where are you going?" Kankuro exclaimed.

"I know where Sasori-sensei wants us to join him, so hurry up a bit" she urged them.

"You heard that Gaara, she's leaving without warning us, and it's our fault if we're behind her," he rasped.

His younger brother preferred not to answer anything, it was out of the question for him to take sides in what would certainly become an argument if the conversation continued.

They eventually arrived in a place they knew very well, the place where the jonin had tested them when their father had assigned him as their teacher.

"He is not here, you must have make a mistake" the middle child commented.

"No, I'm sure it is here, it can not be anywhere else, I'm sure" she said.

A ninja had to trust his instincts and hers told her that she was right.

''I trust you big sister, he will join us soon" Gaara added taking her hand.

''Thank you for your support Gaara" she replied, gently squeezing his little hand.

"Anyway, if he were here I would tell Sasori-sensei what I think ..." the other boy pointed out.

"How about that! What do you think Kankuro?" a male voice questioned.

"Sa... Sasori-sensei" he swallowed as he turned to face his teacher.

The scorpion stared at him with his cold and impassive look , his arms crossed in front of his chest, wanting an answer. Like this he was quite intimidating, and the Sabaku No was unable to articulate any syllable.

"Sensei, have we succeeded?" the demon bearer intervened to save his elder brother.

The brown marbles passed from one brother to another, and the eldest of the two sons of the kazekage let out a deep sigh of relief.

"You have five minutes ..." the adult began, interrupting himself voluntarily.

His three students were hanging uon Sasori's every word, both nervous and impatient to discover whether or not they had solved this series of riddles in the two hours granted.

"..Of advance in the time I gave you" he announced, putting an end to this unbearable suspense.

"For real sensei?" Gaara asked not getting over it.

"I do not have time to waste in jokes" he reminded.

"We dit it, we did it" the two boys exclaimed with joy.

Their sister just smiled proudly, delighted and relieved to have not disappointed the Akasuna no.

''You could have arrived earlier, we will have to correct some small points and especially knowing how to say no, is not it Temari" he pointed out.

The blonde's cheeks instantly turned red even brighter than the hair of her youngest brother. So their teacher knew that she had been not firm enough and that she had given into the temptation of Emiko's cake.

''What is our reward?" Kankuro asked.

"What have we won?" Gaara added.

"You have not guessed?" Sasori asked them.

The three children shook their heads negatively , they did not have the slightest idea of what was the surprise that they had won.

"Think, I did not make you run all over the city out of pure sadism, it followed a certain logic."

"What is sadism sensei?" the little redhead inquired.

"It's when a person takes pleasure in hurting others," his brother said, before the ninja.

"Is it true what he is saying?" the only girl in the group wanted to know, intrigued.

"Indeed, that's right" the adult confirmed, "but where did you learn that?''

"I read it in one of the books about puppeteers that was at grandma Chiyo's, it said that sometimes some of them developed this trait of character by torturing their victims" he remembered.

Sasori thought it best to go to his grandmother's house one day to check what kinds of books her library contained. He did not want one of his three student fal on a very graphic image of violence, at least not before they killed for the first time.

"Let's go back to your reward, go back to your journey" he advised them.

"First we went to a blue shinobis shop, then to the shop specialized in herbal medicine, and finally to a weapon shop" Temari enumerated.

''I do not see how that is supposed to help us" the oldest of her brothers sulked.

"These three places have one thing in common" their teacher remarked.

"One thing in common" the last of the siblings repeated puzzled.

"Do not focus on the places but on the services they offer" he helped them.

"So water, medicines and weapons," the brown boy summed up.

"All of three are useful to ninjas" his younger brother realized.

"How is this a reward for us?" Kankuro asked.

"Sensei, is it possible ..." Temari began not knowing whether to continue or not.

"What, Temari, what?" her brothersasked.

"Is it possible that we are leaving on a mission with you?" She finished.

"You understood everything, Temari" he congratulated her.

"We will have our first mission!" Kankuroyelled, jumping all over the place.

Gaara laughed with joy, they had succeeded, and it was for that reason that their teacher had decided to have them accompany him on what would be their first mission.

"We will leave in two days at dawn for the village of Koseki where we have to deliver a package" he informed them.

"Why not tomorrow ?" the little redhead asked curious.

"Yes it's true that, Sasori-sensei, why not tomorrow?" the other boy added.

"Simply because you ran all day, you must be tired, and you must rest, I tell you straight away I will not carry you during the trip" he warned.

It was ah this moment that he realized that while Kankuro and Gaara were running and jumping visibly very excited by the news, their eldest did not move, and seemed pensive.

"A problem Temari?"

''Not really no, I was just trying to find out why you did not send us get back an envelope in the southern part of the city, is not there anything which the shinobis use there?" she asked him.

He was only half surprised by her question, after all she was Karura's daughter, and when she was her age, her mother asked the same style of questions.

"No nothing, and I felt that these three places were more than sufficient for this exercise" he replied.

In fact if he had not sent them to this zone it was because it was in this area that was the district of pleasures. It was here that some shinobis of both sexes and some civilians came to satisfy their desires. The Sabaku No in front of him were too young, far too young to find themselves exposed to half-naked bodies pacing the streets.

"Here I give you a list of what you will have to pack for the mission," he finished, giving Kankuro a sheet of paper.

Then he took them home, as he got used to, and left when they were inside their house. Tomorrow he would prepare for the mission, with these three under his custody he could leave nothing to chance.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 :

"Mother, mother," the three Sabaku No cried, crossing the threshold of their house.

"I'm in the kitchen" she replied.

"Mom, you'll never guess what Sasori-sensei has told us!" Kankuro exclaimed.

"No what ?" she asked him.

"He told us that in two days we were going on a mission with him," Gaara continued.

"Oh really ?"

"It was to reward us for successfully solving his series of puzzles" Temari said proudly.

"Bravo my treasures, I'm so proud of you, come here," she congratulated them while kneeling.

They threw themselves into her arms, laughing and smiling. They were delighted to have honored their teacher and their mother. She was very much aware since several days of the project of her former teammate and her husband but she had played the game and left the pleasure to her children to announce the news. She disguised the fact that it worried her to know that her daughter and her two boys were leaving for their first mission. She had been in this situation too but at the time she was eleven years old, and above all she had studied at the academy. It was not the case with her offspring, and although she did not doubt that Sasori had prepared them well for this mission and that he would do everything so nothing could happen to them, she could not help but worry. Temari was only eight, Kankuro seven, and Gaara six, who in addition lived with Shukaku who, although he had kept quiet until now, still remained a demon and therefore a potential danger.

"Mom, Sasori-san gave us a list of what we should take with us" the little blonde remembered, "Could you help us to make sure we do not forget anything?"

"Of course, let's see that," she said, taking the sheet her eldest son handed her.

She began to browse it carefully under the watchful eye of the trio who hoped they had everything at home.

"I think we have everything we need, he does not want anything a shinobi family does not have, and what are we if it's not a family of ninjas," she commented, winked to them.

They let out a sigh of relief, they had walked the streets of their village all afternoon and the prospect of having to start again tonight or the next day did not delight them.

"We'll take care of all this tomorrow, for the moment, it's time to wash your hands, dinner is almost ready" she announced.

Her two elders rushed into the bathroom on the upper floor, her youngest child did not move.

"Mom, do you think dad will coming home late?" he asked.

"I do not know my angel, you know with his work it's never easy to predict, but in any case he will do everything possible to come home as soon as possible" she comforted him.

"... You're right, dad needs to make sure that we are all safe and happy, as I will when I will be kazekage" he said.

"That's right" she confirmed.

She could not contradict him, and tell him that the post of his father whom he admired so much was not as wonderful and idyllic as he imagined it. In two days he would surely lose some of his innocence, it would have been too cruel and unworthy of a mother to shatter his dream.

"Thanks mum" he exclaimed before leaving to join his siblings.

She watched him go away, and smiled, despite the presence of the demonic creature, her last born was kind, optimistic and full of compassion, it was nice to see. For a long time she had been afraid that he could not have a normal life and that Shukaku would make a real monster of her little boy, but today this fear had greatly diminished and although it would probably never disappear completely, she did not live anymore in permanent anxiety.

Her offspring descended soon and went straight to sit at the table, chatting about their mission.

"I'm home" Rasa announced as he arrived.

"Daddy, daddy, daddy!" cried the three little ones, leaving the table hastily.

They hurried to their parent who grabbed them one by one: he held Kankuro and Gaara each one in an arm, and Temari was on his back holding herself tightly to his neck.

"Dad, you will never guess what happened to us today" the little brown man said.

When he was going to tell him that Sasori had come to inform him that they had completed their exercise and that they were going on a mission with him, he met the eyes of his wife who made it very clear that he had to shut up and let their children having the joy of telling him the big news.

"No Kankuro, I'll never guess" he said.

"We are going on a mission with Sasori-sensei" the little redhead revealed.

"That's great" he commented.

"Besides, it's Gaara who got the last clue" their sister added proudly.

"It was nothing, I would never have succeeded without you" he said, blushing.

"Do not say that, you managed to overcome your shyness to talk to someone you did not know, we would have failed if you had not done it" she insisted.

"It's normal that he did it, he's our brother, he's going to be a fantastic ninja, you'll see" the other boy assured her.

"Not if he follows your example" the blonde commented mockingly.

"No quarrels tonight, your dad and I are proud of you three" Karura said.

"Your mother is right, let's go for dinner, and you will tell us your day" Rasa said.

"Okay" the three children said.

The kazekage lowered himself and put his daughter on her chair before doing the same with his two sons. He sat in his chair while his wife brought the dishes. The meal began, and once their mother was at table they told their story which was not easy for their parents to follow since the three spoke at the same time.

The next day was the day of great preparations. Karura had given them an exceptional lie in since the next day they will have to get up very early, and even though Koseki was not the farthest village in Suna, it was still almost at full day, so they would be outside for the night. She was proud of them, but she was also very worried, she would not be there to protect them and as a mother it was very difficult to live. Her children were eager to leave, to visit places they had never seen before, they laughed at the danger, they did not fear it. She imagined it perfectly and it frightened her terribly, she still remembered the difficult missions she had to do and the lives she had to take. She did not want them to border on with death so young, they were still only children ...

"Mom, can you come and see if I made my bag properly?" Kankuro called.

"I'm coming my darling" she said.

She went upstairs and entered her first son's room. The room was a real mess, there was things everywhere; toys, unfolded clothes, school stuffs were lying on the floor ... The child was standing next to his bed, not disturbed by all this disorder.

"I'm here, so let's see this bag" she commented, coming closer.

What was not her surprise by examining it carefully. It was perfectly organized, nothing was missing, a real shinobi bag.

"Did you do it alone?" she asked him.

"Yes, why it's not good?"

"Quite the contrary, it looks like you have been preparing your stuff for years, it's perfect, where did you learn to split so well what you carried?"

"At Grandma Chiyo's, she has many books on ninjas, I like to read them, especially the ones about puppeteers" he said.

"Too bad she does not have some about the art of keeping a room in order" she said smiling.

He looked around him and blushed embarrassed by the mess he had set without noticing.

"I'm going to clean it, do not worry mom" he affirmed.

After helping her son clean up the room, she went to see how it went on her daughter's way. She knocked on the door and waited.

"Come in."

"Temari I came to see if you needed me" she informed her.

"Mom, you come up well, all my things don't fit in my bag" she complained.

"Don't get angry, we'll find a solution" she assured calmly.

While opening the bag of the little blonde she found that everything did not go inside and it seemed strange since she took the same stuff as her brother. Examining it a little more closely she discovered the source of the problem; the disposition of the personal belongings of her blonde. She took them all out and showed her daughter how to put them in order to be able to close the bag.

"It was not so complicated, it was enough to find the appropriate place for each object" says Ms. Sabaku No.

"I hate that, I prefer when everything goes to any place" groaned her eldest.

Karura stroked her hair, amused by Temari's sulky pout.

"You say that and yet your room is always spotlessly tidy" she pointed out.

"Of course who would like to live in a pigsty, except Kankuro of course" she commented.

The matriarch of the family left her and finished her tour in the room of her last child.

"Gaara, can I come in?"

"Yes mom, of course," he gave her the permission.

He was standing in front of his bed, staring at his teddy bear in front of him. He had this teddy since he was born, he had fallen asleep every night with him by his side. It was the first plush that she and Rasa had bought for him.

"I do not think Sasori will be happy if you take it with you" she admitted, understanding what was bothering him.

If she had been the shinobi responsible for three children, she would have accepted that they would bring a little cuddly toy to comfort them during the night, their first night away from the village, away from their home and their parents, but Sasori was not her, and he did not tolerate this kind of childishness.

"I know, but I'm afraid he'll feel lonely and he will be scared without me" he said sadly.

"Do you think he'd be fine if he slept in our bed between your father and me?" she suggested.

"... Yes, between you two he would not be afraid because he would know that nothing can happen to him" he affirmed after several minutes of reflection.

"Very well, so now that this problem is settled, let's get ready to pack your bag, you give me a hand? "

"Okay mom" he agreed, smiling.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The sun rose like every morning on the land of the wind, awakening all those whose work began early. Karura Sabaku No had left her bed at the same time as her husband, and she was preparing breakfast.

"The first mission of our children is worrying you Karura," he guessed as he observed her.

"Am I so transparent ?" She asked embarrassed.

"I've known you for quite a long time and I live with you, nothing about you escapes me." He replied.

"... Yes I'm worried, of course I am, our children are still so young Rasa, and you and the council send them away from me, and that bothers me. I'm terrified at the idea they have a misfortune and Iwould not be there to protect them, it's the worst feeling a mother can feel.'' she says.

Her husband slowly approached her and hugged her tightly, she snuggled against him and encircled his waist with her arms, enjoying the moment of intimacy that was given to them.

''Karura, I understand your fears, you carried our children for nine months, you were connected to them long before me, you love them, you only want their happiness and that is normal, but you have nothing to fear, trust me. Sasori is very attached to them, he would never risk putting their lives in danger. He is the best shinobi I know to train and watch over them.'' he affirmed.

"I, too, have faith in him and I have no doubt of his dedication to our daughter and our two sons, I have seen him behave with more gentleness and respect than he has ever done with some adult ninjas," she confirmed.

''Then why are you worried if you believe in him ?''

" Rasa do you remember how old our children are? They may well return safe and sound from this mission but having lost their innocence, perhaps with the years you have forgotten but I still remember very clearly the trauma that followed me for weeks when I had to kill for the first time. I was thirteen years old Rasa, and I had nightmares for nights, they are too young, it will destroy them.'' she complained.

"My darling, it's your eyes and your heart that blind you and keep you from seeing them as they pasts weeks our little Temari has improved her stamina to the point of becoming the best of her class, our little Kankuro spends his spare time reading books about puppetry and puppeteers, and our little Gaara, he becomes more and more an accomplice with Shukaku, I sense it through his chakra, as I feel he wants to learn as much as possible to succeed me one day. They are ready Karura, and if that had not been the case, I would never have agreed to this mission, "he affirmed, staring straight into her eyes.

The kunoichi that lay dormant in her did not doubt him for a single second, she had seen him so often take command of missions in which she had participated that she trusted his decisions. It was different for the mother who lived in her, it was in her instinct to want to protect and defend her offspring at all costs, and having to entrust their safety to someone else went against her role as mother.

"Karura, everything will be fine." Rasa repeated, kissing her on the forehead.

She did not answer, there was nothing to say or do that would drive her husband to change his mind. She finished preparing breakfast and went to wake up her children. It was easier than other mornings, they were so excited by the prospect of finally leaving the village and traveling that they did not feel like lazing in bed. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and even if it did not dispel their mother's fears, she smiled, contaminated by their joy and impatience. She had been in the same state when she had left Suna for the first time .

They had just finished dressing and putting on their backpacks when blows were knocked on the door. The housewife went to open it and it was without surprise that she discovered Sasori.

''Good morning Sasori-kun."

"Good morning Karura-san, are they ready?" he asked her.

"Yes, while waiting for you they recite the rules of shinobis, I will look for them don't move" she said.

She came back a few seconds later with her three children, who in turn greeted their teacher.

"Vey well if you have everything you need and you're ready we'll go right now" he warned them.

"Okay, sensei" they said in chorus.

"Are you sure you've taken all the necessary?" he asked them.

"Yes sensei we have everything that was on the list" Gaara said.

"Excellent, so I just have to give you this, you put them on and then you say goodbye to your mother" he commanded.

"What is it?" Kankuro asked, taking what their teacher handed them, soon imitated by his sister and brother.

These are identification bandanas on which is inscribed my registration number and the village to which you belong" he explained.

"Why it's your number and not your name which is inscribed?"Gaara questioned him.

"If you ever get lost, which will not happen if you want to leave again on a mission with me, these bandanas will be used to find out which village to take you backto, but some ninjas have some hatred or resentment towards me and they would see in you the perfect way to take revenge on me if they saw my name written. Few of my enemies know my number, it reduces the risk of rapprochement between you and me, and it increases the chances that you will be saved even if I repeat it, the chances that you are going astray are almost nil'' he insisted.

His three students nodded in approval, it made sense, their teacher did that to protect them. Temari tied the fabric she had in her hands around her neck, her first brother placed it on his forehead, the same way their sensei wore his headband, and Gaara chose to put it around his right arm.

"Listen to Sasori, obey him and everything will be fine" their mother told them, dipping her eyes

into those of the man in front of her.

"Everything will be fine," he repeated, in a confident tone, which was worth a promise.

She answered him with a thankful smile, he would watch over her children at the risk of his life, and would defend them as if they had been his own, with him they risked nothing.

"Say goodbye to your mother, it's time to go" he said.

Each in turn they hugged their moms without lingering too much, for it was not necessary to abuse the jonin's patience.

"It's good sensei" the only daughter of the trio stated.

So Sasori set out, and the three Sabaku No followed him, without any more lingering at their doorstep. They turned one last time and addressed a last glance to their mother, to whom she answered with an immense smile.

The Akasuna No roamed the streets without paying attention to what was around him, which was not the case of his little proteges, who had their eyes that sailed incessantly from right to left and from left to right. It was the first time they crossed these streets at this hour and they were watching all that life that was unknown to them. They met merchants who were preparing their stands, civilians who were going to market or going to work, cats lounging on the edge of the roofs ... It was sometimes difficult for them to imagine a life outside of the one of the shinobis, for them it was a parallel world and these two worlds never mixed.

They eventually reached the guard post where the two guard ninjas stood, they were there to control the entrances and exits of the village. Only another person was there, a man who had left their home before them, a man they had been disappointed to miss.

"Sasori on time as always" the head of the country remarked unsurprisingly.

"One does not change old habits especially when they are good" he replied.

"You're right, so if everything is in order, I will not delay you further" he said.

Rasa then fixed his irises in the ones of the readhead , and he clearly understood the message he was transmitting: "Watch over my children" were the words he could read. Without speaking, he replied that nothing would happen to them, not as long as he was alive. The puppeteer resumed his journey when he had permission from his supervisor.

"Do not worry daddy everything will be fine, uh I mean do not worry kazekage-sama everything is going to be okay," Kankuro said, bending his chest, which made Gaara laugh.

"I'll watch over them," Temari promised, rolling her eyes and pushing the brown man.

Their father noticed that his youngest child was still there in front of him, looking a little intimidated, he crouched down and stroked his hair.

"You are strong and brave, you do not have to be afraid, Sasori is there, as well as your elders and you know how protective they are to you, and then you have Shukaku, he is there too to defend you, is not it Shukaku?''

The adult felt a change of chakra emanating from his boy but this change was not threatening and he translated it by an approval of what he had just said.

"Go otherwise your teacher will grumble" he told Gaara.

''Okay, thanks daddy'' he replied with a smile.

He walked briskly so that the others would not wait longer. The jounin responsible for them did not comment on the minutes they had lost because of him. He stared at the horizon for a long time before turning to his students.

"Listen to me, the desert can be your best ally as it can be your worst enemy if you do not master it. Never underestimate it if you want to stay alive. You will put yourself in Indian file behind me, Kankuro you will be behind me, then Gaara and Temari you will close the march.''

"Good sensei," they replied.

They placed themselves in the order stated by their teacher and finally crossed the boundary separating the village from the desert. The Sabaku No were overjoyed, they had so often dreamed of discovering the world that existed outside of Suna and now today this dream had come true. Sasori, who glanced at them from time to time to make sure they followed, had noticed their enthusiasm, the happiness they had to venture outside the huge defensive walls of Sunagakure. That brought him back to his very first mission when he became a genin. During this time he was a little older than them and unlike them he had managed to defend himself but he had felt the same feelings as they (deep inside him of course, a real ninja did not show never his emotions). For the children behind him it was another situation, they were not yet shinobis and they still had all their innocence, innocence that he was determined to preserve for some time.

''We are going to take a break here, we have made good progress and you have to rest a bit" he informed them as he stopped.

The area was flat, and one of the few rocks in the windy country came out of the sand, was a perfect natural roof for the girl and the two boys, giving them enough shade to house all of them. It was almost noon, and the sun was at the zenith, this heat did not bother the leader of the group, he had gotten used to it over the years, but it was not their case, this intense heat was painful for them to endure and there was no air to refresh them.

"We are going to stay here for a moment, if you are hungry and thirsty it is the moment, later it will be impossible" he announced.

"This stop will be longer than the others?" Kankuro asked.

''Yes, the others were here to help you catch your breath, this one is essential because it's too hot for you to keep moving forward, so it's the perfect opportunity for you to recover" he said.

The Sabaku No removed their bags from their backs and opened them, they extracted their bento and their gourd. They were restoring themselves while their sensei stood guard, attentive to the slightest noise, the slightest suspicious movement.

''You do not eat Sasori-san?"Gaara questioned him.

"Do not worry about me I'm not hungry, I took a suitable breakfast to hold until tonight, because if we continue at the same pace and no storms are triggered then we will be joining Koseki at dusk"he said.

"We will succeed sensei, you can count on us, we will run to be exhausted if necessary but we will be on time" Temari promised with determined tone.

The brunette to her left stared at her as if she had fallen on her head, and the red on her right looked at her uncertainly, even if he did not show it, their reaction amused Sasori, they were still so innocent, and for a man as impassive and indifferent to the world as he was, it was pleasant to see, and intriguing. He wondered how three children of a couple of ninjas, dreaming to become ninjas and who can not ignore the sacrifices that this career choice involved could still be candid, still full of life ... It was a mystery and also a disadvantage because the day this innocence would shatter what kind of individuals would they become?

"Sasori-sama, can we know what is the contents of the package we bring to the inhabitants of Koseki?" the blonde asked.

"These are material to make weapons for Suna," he replied.

"What kind of weapons, shurikens, kunais?" Kankuro inquired, very interested.

"I can not tell you, it's a secret only known by the kazekage and Koseki's weapons makers" he explained.

"So these are new weapons" the boy concluded.

"Finish your meal and save your breath by stop talking, we'll be leaving soon" he warned them.

"Okay sensei!" they exclaimed.

The puppeteer continued to scan the surroundings, the sun was slightly less hot, and if they wanted to reach their destination as soon as possible, they should not stay here too long.


End file.
